The Moana Court social housing complex in Titahi Bay is to be managed by Wellington City Council.

It was decided at a publicly excluded Porirua City Council meeting on December 12 that Porirua council would continue to manage the Te Pene Ave Flats, but that a more experienced housing providor should take over Moana Court.

The 26 units are mostly occupied by elderly residents.

Porirua mayor Nick Leggett said Wellington City Council was well-suited to take over the management of Moana Court.

"They [WCC] are the second largest provider in the country after Housing New Zealand."

"We never wanted to take people out of their homes, despite what some in the community are saying, so the outcome we have is a good one.

"This will improve the social service element we have at Moana Court, it's efficient and best for tenants."

Mr Leggett said as they were sharing more services with other councils today, such as water and landfills, then housing was a logical step.

Wellington City Council will manage and maintain the units, with PCC paying for any upgrades.

Kapi-Mana News understands Porirua council will pay $20,000 to Wellington council to manage Moana Court.

Mr Leggett confirmed that the present rent cost of $77 a week would probably rise as Wellington City Council would seek to charge at market rates.

However, Wellington City Council has confirmed it would rent out the flats at 70 per cent of market rates.

In public speaking time at last week's meeting, Moana Court tenant Robert Overend said the council's review of the flats had a been a "sad, stressful business".

Mr Leggett was annoyed to hear about a change in management from Kapi-Mana News, rather than the council.

He believed the description "social housing" for Moana Court should be replaced with "pensioner housing".

"Social" has a wider context, which does not necessarily work in the situation we have.

"I think whoever runs it now should retain rents as they are, because they will get a financial return."